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Wednesday, November 24, 2010

A Tree of Memories...

Well it's that time of year....

Our Christmas Tree is up.... it's not decorated - yet - but it is standing and the lights are on. Every year, I am reminded of the traditions in my family growing up, and hope to be instilling some sense of that in my children. By my daughter's response, I assume that I am.

My plan was to put the tree up on Thanksgiving. I kinda have an issue about putting it up before then.... but...

My girl wanted to help me decorate it. Every year, we put up our tree - with Christmas Music playing (and me singing!).... that is something I carry forward with me from my youth. My extended family would sit and sing carols on Christmas Eve... I just sing when I'm decorating these days.

Once the tree is up and the lights are on, I start opening boxes of ornaments. There is quite an array by now. There are the home-made ones that the kids have created since pre-school. Each one hangs the ones bearing their names.

There are ornaments of each of their smiling faces one for every year since they were born, and an ornament that carries the picture from our Christmas Card for the past nearly 10 years. Also in the mix are ornaments I have collected through the years. I try to limit it to ONE that best describes the previous year, or one from a special trip that we have taken.

I have ornaments that were gifts from friends, and others that represent my hometown, and my years in North Carolina. As I take each one out, I remember the story, person, place or event that is attached to the ornament.

It's a fun time for me... It's an opportunity to walk through our years with grateful hearts as we celebrate and anticipate the coming of Christmas.